Here’s the Difference Between Jeopardy! and Daytime Jeopardy!

Have you ever switched your television on in the middle of the afternoon to discover that an episode of Jeopardy! is airing? That’s actually not Jeopardy!—well, kind of. It’s Daytime Jeopardy!, a syndicated version of Jeopardy! that airs during the daytime instead of in the evenings.

So, there’s a daytime version of Jeopardy!—that’s pretty cool. But why exactly does it exist? And how does it differ from the original version of the show?

We at Trivia Bliss are here to cover the differences between Daytime Jeopardy! and Jeopardy!. Throughout this article, you’ll learn all there is to know about the daytime version of the classic quiz show. Keep scrolling, and let’s get going!

What Is Daytime Jeopardy?

Daytime Jeopardy! is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: it’s Jeopardy! that airs during the day. Instead of coming on your television screens in the evening, when new episodes conventionally air, it’s aired during available afternoon time slots on a wide array of channels. NBC, ABC, CBS, The Game Show Network—these networks all are home to Daytime Jeopardy!. This is because Daytime Jeopardy! is a syndicated program.

Because Daytime Jeopardy! is a syndicated show, like Jeopardy!, it doesn’t air at a consistent time from city to city and area to area. Instead, it can air whenever a certain network has space to fill in its programming. This could be early in the afternoon or right before Jeopardy! airs in the evening. That’s right, sometimes Daytime Jeopardy! is on in the evening! More on that later.

Though the time at which it airs can be variable depending on the area, Daytime Jeopardy! will most likely have consistent airtime on each individual local channel. This makes it easy for casual viewers and big fans alike to know when to tune in every day.

Daytime Jeopardy! vs. Regular Jeopardy!

What happens when you pit Daytime Jeopardy! against its evening counterpart to find out how they differ?

Let’s get a clue as to how these two shows are different (if at all).

Though Daytime Jeopardy! has a different name, it’s pretty much the same as regular old Jeopardy!, just in rerun form. Yep, there are no new episodes of Daytime Jeopardy!, at least not in the traditional sense. Daytime Jeopardy! consists of Jeopardy! episodes that have been previously aired.

As their name suggests, these episodes air during the day as opposed to in the evening. However, this isn’t always the case.

In some places, Daytime Jeopardy! isn’t aired during the daytime at all. Instead, it’s on TV directly before a new Jeopardy! episode on any given evening. This is currently the case on some channels in the Central Standard Time zone (CST) and Mountain Standard Time zone (MST).

What’s the Difference?

So, what exactly is the difference between Jeopardy! and Daytime Jeopardy!? There really aren’t many.

Daytime Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! have the same premise and feature the same hosts and contestants. However, Daytime Jeopardy! never airs brand new episodes. Every Daytime Jeopardy! episode was once a Jeopardy! episode that premiered for the first time in the evening.

Additionally, Daytime Jeopardy! is aired during the day, as its name insinuates.

The two major differences between Daytime Jeopardy! and Jeopardy! are airtime (the former airs earlier than the latter) and newness (only the latter features brand-new episodes).

Is Daytime Jeopardy! a Different Show?

Daytime Jeopardy! is not a different show—it’s the same as Jeopardy!, just in rerun form. It’s different only because of its scheduled airtime—besides that, it simply consists of old Jeopardy! episodes.

As we mentioned above, Daytime Jeopardy! follows the exact same premise as Jeopardy! because its episode library is made up of previously aired episodes of Jeopardy!.

Rest assured, if you’re tuning in to watch an episode of Daytime Jeopardy!, you’ll still get to enjoy America’s most popular game show—just a little bit earlier in the day.

Is Daytime Jeopardy! Nationally Syndicated in the US?

Just like Jeopardy!, Daytime Jeopardy! is nationally syndicated in the US. This means it doesn’t have a permanent home on any one broadcast network. Instead, it’s leased to multiple networks so that it can air on different channels depending on the area. This is why Jeopardy! and Daytime Jeopardy! can be found on CBS in one city and NBC in another—it’s really variable depending on which city, state, or time zone you live in.

Check your local listings to find out exactly when and where Daytime Jeopardy! airs in your area, as well as if it’s streaming anywhere.

Why Does Daytime Jeopardy! Exist?

So, if Jeopardy! is so popular in the evenings, why air it in the afternoons, too? Isn’t one Jeopardy! episode per day enough?

The answer? It’s probably not enough for the fans because the show is so incredibly popular. Jeopardy! garners millions of viewers every night, so it’s no wonder that the networks want to maximize the show’s already massive reach. This means that fans can watch the show twice in a day if they’re available to.

Alternatively, Daytime Jeopardy! can serve as consolation to fans who were busy the previous night and didn’t get their daily Jeopardy! fix. The show is an addicting watch, after all! Daytime Jeopardy! is especially valuable to trivia fans who work nights or are putting their kids to bed just as the new episode airs every night.

Daytime Jeopardy! can also serve as a tool for especially avid Jeopardy! viewers. Suppose a fanatic wants another chance to analyze their favorite contestant’s playing strategy or wants to test their memory of the previous evening’s answers. In that case, they can watch each episode multiple times. Anyone can watch the show once when it’s new in the evening and another time days, weeks, or months later when it comes back during the daytime.

Final Words

Thanks for reading our overview of what separates Jeopardy! from Daytime Jeopardy!. We hope this article helped to clear up any misconceptions you may have had regarding these two shows.

Do you watch Daytime Jeopardy!? And if so, do you prefer it over new Jeopardy! episodes in the evenings? Let us know down below in the comments.

Want even more juicy Jeopardy! content? Trivia Bliss has got plenty for you. Catch up on episodes old and new with a guide to where to find Jeopardy! streaming. If you want to hear us weigh in on whether or not Jeopardy! counts as trivia or if the show qualifies as gambling, we’ve got the scoop. Thinking of taking the Jeopardy! test to go on the show yourself? We’ve got plenty of question compilations, like this list of Final Jeopardy clues, to help you study. And if you make it onto the show, check out this article to help you find accommodations near to the studios where Jeopardy! is filmed.